


love me like you

by lcgan



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Cute, Finnpoe - Freeform, M/M, Please have mercy, extremely gay, i love them, lots of handholding, multichap, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-07 01:57:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13424274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lcgan/pseuds/lcgan
Summary: Poe Dameron is having an existential crisis that results in him wasting his time spying on the cute boy that works at the bookstore on Main, in hopes that he can make his life better. Rey thinks his obsession is unhealthy and that he should try yoga.Or in which Poe is melancholic, stressed, and extremely gay for a soft Finn.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> please enjoy this fic thats been sitting in the back of my brain for months. please leave comments as they motivate me to update faster. thank you, enjoy!

 

**MORNING** was the only time of the day that brought Poe Dameron any sort of happiness. The sun bursting through the thin material of his curtains and the feeling of its warm rays tickling his face made him particularly jovial. Of course these few moments of serenity didn't last very long, and his momental merriment was shattered by the haunting realization that he had work to do.

He'd trudge over to his laptop, incensed that he couldn't even find time to wash his face before his anxiety seeped in, check his ever growing pile of emails and sigh deeply before answering them in order. When he was finished he'd rise from his desk and make his way to the bathroom, feeling jarringly empty from the fifteen minutes spent typing up responses in faux excitement.

Everything made him feel empty these days and he found very few things entertaining. Life was long and hard and he noticed himself wanting to be apart of it less and less as the days went on.

In a fit of despair, Poe had gone to see a therapist who seemed to be more interested in the curve of his lips when he spoke rather than what he actually had to say. He found himself having to snap in Dr. DuBois' face more times than he could count on his two hands. Quickly his visits became more like his life in the aspect that he just wanted it to be over.

He'd even tried focusing on the things his best friend had told him were worth living for. Men and women, were plentiful and nice but they usually left the moment he said anything about how he was feeling. Booze, was also great in amount but made Poe's head throb after one sip and he couldn't imagine himself drinking any quantity that was even close to what Rey consumed. Last but not least Rey had insisted on his insane amount of wealth being able to bring him some sort of contentment (spoiler alert; it hadn't).

In conclusion, Poe Dameron was craving either an abrupt death or some sort of spiritual awakening that would cure his early onset of a midlife crisis. This spiritual awakening came to him in the form of a boy. Or rather a blueberry scone.

______

The Bell Bookshop was a unique place. The outside of the small shop was painted a bright blue color with a pretty white sign hanging over the doorway. It was squashed between a fancy restaurant that Poe frequented, and a flower shop. Baskets of flowers hung from the exterior walls of the bookshop and the fresh smell of baked delicacies danced throughout the street.

Poe had noticed the shop before but never really payed it any attention because his mind was on other things. On this particular day however, Poe found himself opening the door and cringing when a bell chimed overhead. A couple heads turned to him as if it were his fault it rang so loudly, he shrugged apologetically and hurriedly went off to hide behind one of the many bookshelves.

The thick smell of vanilla was even more prominent inside the shop, and Poe found the scent enticing. Selecting what looked to be an interesting book off of the shelf, he pivoted on his heel and made his way to the register. On the counter sat a glass case filled with a sundry of baked goods.

Poe found himself suddenly hungry and patiently waited for someone to ring him up. He'd been standing for a couple minutes and was thinking of ringing the bell on the counter when someone burst through the swinging doors.

"I hope you choke on that flour, Kylo!" A loud voice cried and Poe didn't even have time to process what he was saying because- god, this boy was beautiful.

He was torn from staring at his face when the boy snatched the book from his hands and scanned it before handing it back quickly. "23.45." His soft voice stated, his eyes not once looking up at his face.

Finding his composure, Poe gave him a small smile and gestured to the glass case. "Add in a blueberry scone?"

The boy gave him one swift nod and punched something into the register before reaching into the case and setting a scone in a little blue box. He handed the box to him, the logo smiling up at him as he took it from him.

"Thank you." He said, still grinning. Thinking that he was coming off as weird, he toned the smile down a bit.

Finally, the boy looked up at him and Poe didn't know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't a meek once over and a flour-covered palm stuck out in his direction.

"Money." He said calmly, and Poe felt like the biggest idiot on the face of earth.

He dropped the box on the counter, fumbled with his wallet and nearly dropped his card before setting it in his hand. "Sorry." He mumbled.

He shrugged as if he were used to morons like him and swiped it gracefully before handing it back. His hand brushed against Poe's and he felt his heart jump a little. Willing himself to stay calm he slipped his wallet back into his pocket and collected the book and the box.

"Have a nice day." The boy said, giving him a half smile before fixing the visor on his head.

Poe felt his chest grew warm and he was quick to reply. "Farewell!" He exclaimed before turning around and immediately scolding himself.

Who the hell says 'farewell'?

His desire to disappear grew immensely as he left the shop.

______

A week passed since Poe's first visit to Bells' and as the days went on he noticed himself thinking about the boy often.

He was pretty, no doubt about it, with short black hair and the softest shade of brown skin. His lips had been a lovely tone of pink and his nose was cute and short. He had had flour prints over his apron and a couple of flecks on his face as if someone had intentionally thrown it at him.

Poe had grown sick of trying his hardest to remember the shape of the boy's face and the flash of dimples that he was determined to make time to visit again. He didn't know his schedule or if he'd even be there but hope filled his chest and he was excited.

Free time came after a long meeting that had lasted four whole hours. Poe's limbs felt numb and he sat there so long he thought there must've been dust settled on him. He was restless throughout the conference and had at one point even flung his pen across the room accidentally. That had earned him a stern look from his advisor and the condescending smiles of older attendees.

Finally he approached the shop and a grin erupted on his face as the bell chimed and he spotted a familiar head of hair at the register. He bound over to a bookshelf and grabbed a random book before immediately making his way to the counter before she could leave. He set the book down and looked at the glass case. Soft looking cookies were displayed rather than scones or muffins.

"Can I have like twelve of those?" He asked, studying the cookies. "All chocolate chip."

An eyebrow shot up as the boy lifted his head. His eyes widened slightly in what seemed to be recognition and confusion. "Did you say twelve?"

Poe nodded and tilted his head, his heart beaming at the sight of the boys bright scarlet turtleneck that stood out against his dark skin.

"Alright." He said before using the wax paper to pick out a dozen cookies and set them in a box. He rang him up, added the book and slid them across the counter to him. "Nice book choice."

It was only then that Poe looked down at the book cover. A half naked man and a woman clad in skimpy underclothes clinged to one another while a sunset burst in the background. He felt his face heat up and he looked up at the boy who was now grinning wickedly.

"I, uh-"

"If you came for the sweets and didn't want to be impolite it's alright." He teased, before opening the display case again. "Lots of people do the same and buy random books from the clearance section." He took a cookie from the case before taking a bite of it.

"I don't blame you." He sighed before simply handing Poe the rest of the cookie. "They're great."

Poe must've been as red as the color of the boys sweater because he let out a melodious laugh and gestured to the cookie. "Try it."

Poe mumbled a thank you and sank his teeth into it, his face softening at the sweetness of the chocolate. Poe's weakness was sweets even though his Aunt Leia and Rey were quick to lecture him on their effects in the long run. Poe didn't mind and found the prospect of being plump and happy a lot more enticing than staying fit and miserable.

"I'm Finn." The boy suddenly declared, tearing Poe away from his moment with the cookie.

He swallowed quickly and stuck out a hand. "Dameron." He quickly pulled it back upon realizing that it was covered in crumbs. Wiping it on his pant leg, he immediately went to shake his hand again.

Finn gave another soft laugh-that made Poe's knees weak- and dusted off his own hands before shaking Poe's. His grip was firm and his hand was warm and Poe missed the feeling as soon as he pulled away.

"Well the total is 13.37." He smiled before winking. "I didn't include the cookies."

Poe blushed promptly and gave him a grateful smile before pulling out his card. "Thank you."

"It's no problem, we eat everything that's left over in about thirty minutes anyways." He shrugged before swiping Poe's card and handing it back.

Poe slipped it into his pocket and collected his purchases before looking up at the pretty boy one more time. "Have a good night." He said with a small grin.

"Farewell." He replied, with that taunting smile spread across his lips.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which finn, poe, and rey go to a party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i haven't updated, this story isn't getting the same response as my other fic so i haven't been inclined to update it but hopefully it'll start gaining attention and i won't have to worry about not wanting to post. leave comments and kudos and i hope you enjoy!

FINN STORM was the epitome of contentment. He didn't need anything more in life (well maybe a better car) and he was fine with where he was at. His job and his classes were fulfilling and he didn't want anything to change.

He didn't need a boyfriend, regardless of how much his roommate had begged him to bring someone home. That didn't necessarily mean he didn't want one though. It was a nice thought considering he'd never had one.

Boys were nice, he thought. He'd had plenty experience with them and found few intriguing enough to want to pursue anything. He'd tried his luck with girls as well, and though they were much more interesting he didn't think he wanted to date one.

He didn't really know what constituted romantic love. How do you know when you've fallen in it? Does a light go off in your head? Or does it just feel right? Unanswered questions swarmed his head and he would shove them down until they were out of mind. It was a topic for another time. He didn't need that, not now at least.

Or so he had thought.

That was of course, before he'd met the specimen of a man who happened to come in almost every day at the exact same time. Approximately a half hour before closing, when the shop was empty.

He'd mindlessly wander around the shelves as if finding courage to approach him and strike up a conversation. The man was helpless and succumbed to even ask the most pathetic of questions like, "How do you like the weather?"

He was, however, cute and in the moments he seemed confident even hot.

Finn had gotten the vibe he was interested in him as well, as he blushed and mumbled things in response to him frequently. He hoped he wasn't too intimidating or this wasn't how he reacted to everyone who uttered a word to him.

These feelings grew worse when he started coming more frequently as it got colder. Finn wondered what kind of job he worked and whether or not it followed him home. He seemed unbothered as he came in and requested an insane amount of cookies (he still couldn't figure out why).

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Finn blurted one day, as he boxed his dozen cookies.

Dameron tore his eyes away from the display box and met his with a confused yet sort of excited look. "No, why?"

"I was wondering what you did with all these cookies."

"Oh, I give them out to my-coworkers." He said, though he hesitated on the word.

So he was smart and considerate.

"Where do you work?" Finn asked cautiously, as he closed the box. He didn't want to pry or seem invasive.

"Castillo Corp." He replied quickly, glancing down at his feet.

Finn was impressed, he'd heard of the company and was well aware of its wealth thanks to his friend. "Wow, you must be loaded." It slipped out before he thought about it and immediately slapped a hand over his mouth.

Before he could correct himself Dameron gave a loud laugh. "You wouldn't be wrong." He said before frowning. "That sounded arrogant, I apologize."

"Nothing arrogant about the truth." Finn answered, praying he wouldn't think he wanted to talk to him because of money.

He gave him another smile and his heart fluttered at the sight of dimples in the side of his face. They were deeper than Finn's and made him look boyish and charming.

"Would you mind getting coffee with me?" Dameron blurted, much to Finn's surprise.

Finn must've looked momentarily taken back by his question as Poe tried his best to backtrack safely.

"I mean as friends! If you don't want to its totally fine, I mean I'm practically a stranger-"

"I'd love to." He interrupted him enthusiastically, seeming to have got over the initial shock.

Dameron smiled brightly as Finn grabbed a napkin before scribbling his number down. He slid it across the counter and tucked his pen away as Dameron stared at the napkin. "Text me when you're free?"

Dameron flashed him that dimpled smile once again before taking the napkin and slipping it into the pocket of his pants. "Of course."

"Though I don't know how much free time someone who works for Castillo Corp could have." Finn teased, admittedly only wanting the conversation to go on.

Dameron shrugged before collecting his things. "You'd be surprised."

He gave Finn one last lovely smile and turned to exit the shop, leaving Finn leaning on the counter.

He let out a heavy sigh and nearly jumped when his coworker (and bane of his existence) Kylo Ren snorted loudly from behind him.

"What are you laughing at?" Finn asked, annoyed.

The dark-haired boy gave a shrug and busied himself with rearranging the display flowers.

Finn fought the urge to smack the back of his head and instead opted to go back into the kitchen.

______

Sundays were Finn's least favorite day of the week. They were long and boring as Finn had nothing to do aside from sulk and hang out with Rey occasionally.

Rey Kenobi was the oldest friend of Finn's, and in all honesty was probably his only friend. She was an entity, truly. A beautiful girl with bad habits. They'd gone to school together and she was now working at one of the biggest companies in New York. Whereas he was stuck working at a bakery/bookstore and saving up enough money to finish his schooling.

On this particular Sunday, Finn was bursting at the seams with nerves. Rey had invited him to some sort of fancy work event as her date. They were both single, gay, and miserable, so why not?

He'd tried his hardest to dress up but also didn't want to seem too formal. He opted for nicer than usual, cladding himself in a cream colored sweater and dark skinny jeans.

He caught a taxi to Rey's apartment in order to help her with her decision on what to wear.

She ended up trying to match with Finn by slipping on a lovely patterned dress that complimented his color scheme nicely. The dress came to a halt at her knees, resulting in Finn forcing her to throw on a coat.

They truly looked like a couple and the cab driver had even asked how long they'd been together. Rey made up some absurd lies to mollify the man's attempt at conversation and before they knew it, they had arrived at the building.

"Jesus." Finn mumbled, staring at the towering edifice. Rey looped an arm around his and gave him a breathless, giddy smile.

"I know, right?" She sounded very proud of her place of employment.

Upon entering the foyer, they were ushered to a table where they had to mark off their names and show IDs. They hung up their coats and entered the large room where the event was being held.

Finn found himself surprised at the sheer night club feel of it all. The lights were dimmed, and instead neon flashing disco balls illuminated the room. Off in the corner there was a large bar, and a raised platform in the center indicated a dance floor. Men and women all over seemed to be having great fun, drinks in hand as they either danced or socialized.

Finn felt a bit relaxed that it wasn't as top notch as he was expecting.

He was just beginning to loosen up and grab a drink for himself and Rey when the latter was suddenly grabbed by the wrist and pulled into a sudden hug.

"Thank the stars, I thought you decided to stay home after all and I was seriously about to ditch and grab a taxi to come over and get drunk with yo-Finn?" A baffled Poe Dameron stood there, with his hand wrapped around Rey's dainty wrist.

"Dameron?" Finn asked, perplexed as ever and trying to piece things together.

Rey pulled her arm away from Poe and looked between them both. "You two know each other?"

Poe ran a hand through his hair and broke out into a smile. "Yeah, he works at Bell's."

Finn didn't know how he felt about being known as 'Finn who works at Bell's' but he was just genuinely happy Poe recognized him.

"That's weird." Rey finally concluded after looking back and forth between the both of them. "Do you guys mind if I grab a drink?"

They both shook their heads, their eyes still trained on each other.

"So, what brings you here?" Poe asked, in a soft tone as if he couldn't quite believe Finn was really here.

"I'd like to think it was destiny, but it was Rey." Finn answered, trying for a joke but ultimately sounding cliche and dumb.

Nevertheless, Poe let out a chuckle and reached for a glass on a tray of a server who was walking past. He handed it to Finn who smiled gratefully and took it.

"One hell of a party, huh?" Finn blurted, looking around to check on Rey.

"I guess." Poe answered, sounding overwhelmingly unimpressed.


End file.
